Championship v Hampshire 25th-28th June 2023

[Paul W]

14 man squad named-

https://www.middlesexccc.com/news/2023/06/squad-preview-hampshire-v-middlesex-county-championship

Toby Roland-Jones (c), Ethan Bamber, Jack Davies, Josh De Caires, Stephen Eskinazi, Tom Helm, Ryan Higgins, Max Holden, Luke Hollman, Pieter Malan, Tim Murtagh, Sam Robson, John Simpson (wk), Mark Stoneman.

[Jonathan Winsky]

It is a relief for Middlesex to be back in County Championship action for the first of four matches we will play in this format between now and the end of July.

Hopefully these upcoming matches will see our tally of batting points (currently 1) multiply by a large figure. I would write the same about our tally of Championship centuries (0), but multiplying 0 by any figure simply comes back to 0, which is not what I am seeking!

It would be great if Max Holden could take his recent T20 Blast form into this block of matches, as I am still waiting for him to make his second Championship century for Middlesex, and also better his tally of one 50+ score in 11 Championship innings this season. Stevie Eskinazi will be similarly keen for runs in the Blast to translate to big scores in the Championship, as he has not passed 37 in any of his 11 Championship innings this season.

Our most recent Championship match v Somerset at Lord’s saw Robbie White fill in for Pieter Malan, who had played in all of our previous Championship matches. I assume that Malan will be fit for this match, as he is in the squad despite missing our previous four Blast matches for reasons unexplained. It is interesting to see White not in our squad, but Jack Davies and Josh de Caires included, presumably because Davies has done well in the Blast, and de Caires can bowl. However, if we are seeking a spin option in addition to Luke Hollman, then Thilan Walallawita would be disappointed to not be in consideration.

Hampshire have named a 13-man squad for this match (https://www.ageasbowl.com/cricket/news/match-preview-hampshire-v-middlesex,-lv-cc/) consisting of James Vince, Mohammad Abbas, Kyle Abbott, Keith Barker, Ben Brown, Mason Crane, Liam Dawson, James Fuller, Nick Gubbins, Ian Holland, Fletcha Middleton, Felix Organ and Joe Weatherley. I imagine that their players will be keen to remind everyone why they began the season amongst the favourites to win the title.

[MIDDLE EXILE]

Robbie in good nick today with 92 for Ealing against Stanmore.Steve Rheingold just out for 71.

[Paul W]

It will be interesting to see what effect the kookaburra ball has on this round of matches.

Potentially higher scores, with less movement for bowlers like Ethan Bamber.

[Paul W]

Hampshire won the toss and will bat.

No Eskinazi!

Spin expected to play a part, so De Caires in.

[Jonathan Winsky]

The fact that Middlesex have selected Josh de Caires suggests that Middlesex anticipate spin playing some sort of role in this match, possibly influenced by the dry conditions and the Kookaburra ball. If spin indeed plays a big role in this match, then I really don’t know what Thilan Walallawita would make of it, especially as he can’t get into our Twenty20 side either. Lots of counties seem to have boosted their spin resources ahead of this round of matches, so we will have to see how the wickets fall around the country.

Like Walallawita, Mason Crane would also be likely to feel disappointed to not be playing in this match in the event of spin playing a big role. However, Hampshire have two capable spinners in Liam Dawson and Felix Organ, so I am not celebrating yet!

As Tim Murtagh has previously said that he doesn’t like missing matches, he will obviously not be pleased about sitting this match out.

As I was too distracted by the two teams' bowling selections, I did not notice the absence of Stevie Eskinazi until visiting this website!

[MIDDLE EXILE]

I think you may overestimate the degree of disappointment and unhappiness shown by those not selected Jonathan. The reality is only eleven can be selected and one of the seamers will always be left out or rotated. Josh has worked hard on his bowling and can exert a degree of control with his off-spin added to his batting ability makes him worthy of selection. In addition to have selected a left-armer who turns the ball in the same direction as the leg-spinner was not considered an option. Stevie I believe has yet to miss a match and is deserving of a break. The suggestion that twelve be selected as happens in second-eleven cricket be experimented with in The County Championship is worthy of consideration too, but remember those who ''carry the drinks'' have also a part to play.

[Jonathan Winsky]

Middlesex’s performance in the first two sessions compares well with the scores around the country considering that some teams who batted first have already passed 200 or even 250.

The fact that Josh de Caires has taken two wickets and Luke Hollman has kept the score down suggests that spin will do well in the remainder of the match. At least we have no excuses for having a poor over rate, something which should not be an issue considering tea was taken just seven minutes later than the schedruled 3:40pm.

Hopefully Hampshire will be more than four wickets down when the new ball becomes available 16 overs into the evening session.

Regardless of whether or not Liam Dawson and Felix Organ get joy from this pitch, I imagine that Mohammad Abbas, Kyle Abbott, Keith Barker and James Fuller will be confident about taking plenty of wickets. Therefore, we could very much do with not having many runs to chase batting last.

[Pindarus]

The omission of Eskinazi could not of course possibly be related to the fact that in 11 innings his highest score is 37 with an average of 14.

[Jonathan Winsky]

Unless tomorrow gets off to a good start for Middlesex, we will drop bowling points for the first time this season. Indeed, if we fail to take two wickets in the first 14 overs of tomorrow, we will end with only one bowling point. At least the amount of overs bowled by Josh de Caires and Luke Hollman mean that our seamers currently have fewer overs in their legs than they would ordinarily have at this stage.

Hampshire also end the day with only one bonus point. I am not sure how likely it is that their pursuit of further batting points may create chances for us to take wickets, as they should easily add 16 for a second point and 66 for a third point, while I wouldn't have thought that they would be targeting a fourth or fifth point.

Hopefully we will do well when it is our time to bat, as I am not sure how likely it is that we could recover from a big first innings deficit.

Hopefully Pieter Malan and Max Holden will prove why de Caires’ inclusion has come at the expense of Stevie Eskinazi rather than themselves. As none of our batters particularly stood out in our previous six County Championship matches, it could have been any of them who made way if we wished to bring in de Caires. Had Eski played, he may well have performed no better than in our previous Championship matches this season, or he may well have continued his Twenty20 form. If players always played to from, it would make Know Your Cricket an easier game to play!

It will be interesting to see where de Caires bats, as some websites say that he is due to come in at 8, which could well happen considering I am not sure who he would come in ahead of. However, he is capable of batting higher than that, having previously opened in the Championship. As either de Caires or another decent batter is set to come in at 8 and Toby Roland-Jones is set to come in at 9, we bat fairly deep.

[adelaide]

I know it is only evidence from one match - but who is going to play in the future as the spinning all rounder when only one is required?

Ideally both De Caires and Hollmann establish themselves as top or middle order batsmen, in which case we can play both.

[adelaide]

I suppose if Josh got seven, it was a fair bet that a much more experienced spinner like Dawson would be hard to play.

I don't think we'll be batting fourth after all...

[MIDDLE EXILE]

I hear calls for the departure of the consultant batting coach. Is that the solution, and what do others think?

[Jonathan Winsky]

Well done to Josh de Caires on taking seven wickets and scoring runs, both of which are more that can be said for many of his team-mates.

I was surprised that Hampshire seemed happy with two batting points and presumably did not attempt to reach 350 inside 110 overs, something they ended 28 runs short of achieving. If I am right in saying that Hampshire did not attempt to reach 350, I assume that I would be right in saying that this deprived Middlesex of opportunities to earn a second bowling point.

I would like to write that we could gain something if we could continue our first innings for an hour tomorrow and therefore increase the overs in Hampshire’s bowlers’ legs and chip away at Hants’ lead, even if this doesn’t prevent us from being made to follow-on. However, I feel pessimistic that this would achieve much, as Keith Barker, Muhammad Abbas, Kyle Abbott and James Fuller didn’t bowl excessively today (or bowl at all in Fuller’s case), while they would not have to bowl excessively in our second innings if Liam Dawson bowls as well as he has done in our first innings. Therefore, it is difficult to see how the adage about how enforcing the follow-on allows opponents back into the match could be applied to this match. And if Hampshire opt against enforcing the follow-on, then we would be certain to have an unrealistic fourth innings target, regardless of whether we can bowl Hampshire out cheaply in their second innings.

My wait for a second batting point for us will have to wait at least another match. We could do with my wait for a first Middlesex County Championship century of the season ending in our second innings, or maybe even in our first innings, something which would actually restore my hopes of this match seeing us achieve a batting point.

[John Fitzgerald]

I hear calls for the departure of the consultant batting coach. Is that the solution, and what do others think?

Whatever any of us think we are broke. We cannot afford to sign anyone or sack anyone if they would get compensation.

I think yesterday was influenced by the Kookaburra ball, the pitch and the experience of the Hampshire spinner compared to ours

Well done to Josh for his 7 wickets.

[MIDDLE EXILE]

Nonsense, the batting has consistently underperformed all season.A lack of technique and aptitude has been clearly evident and yesterday's collapse was most predictable. Ramps duel role as batting coach and president is clearly incompatible as he is unable to devote his full attention to either. Serious thought should be given to making a fresh appointment. There would be no question of compensation in Ramp's case as he is merely in a consultancy role. A complacent attitude cannot be allowed to continue and none should feel secure in their position.A disastrous approach this morning only deserves to exacerbate the problem.

[Pindarus]

I think the problems run far deeper. These are all experienced batsmen, very experienced in some cases and they have not all suddenly unlearned their trade.
Broke or not there is a serious malaise at Middlesex. If it were a decently run club our numbers 3 and 4 would be Nick Gubbins and Dawid Malan.

[John Fitzgerald]

It isn't good but one more win should see us stay up and we have Northants next.

Malan left for first division cricket for Yorkshire. That went well. Gubbins left because the wickets at Lord's were not great for run scoring. That was a good decision.

[adelaide]

It isn't good but one more win should see us stay up and we have Northants next.


I think we need two more, not least because our batting points may still be in single figures by the end of the season. Bell-Drummond has just scored enough runs on his own to get more batting points than we (or Northants for that matter) have in seven matches. If we beat Northants (and they best us easily enough in the reverse fixture) we still have to keep ahead of Kent. I suspect that it is two from three to go down already.

The batting problems have been with us ever since relegation and it doesn't seem to matter who is on the coaching staff. Most counties seem able to produce young batsmen who perform in at least one form of the game almost from the start. We don't and three years after their debut we are no further on than hoping they might make it. Pitches have something to do with it. It's not just finance as they were mostly around well before PensionGate. Perhaps (to pick up one of the bullets into today's report) we are going to the wrong schools!

[Pindarus]

Yorks went down with 140 points last season so unless we harvest tons of bowling and batting points in the second half of the season I don't see how one more win can possibly suffice.

[wembleylion]

We deserve to go down and, sadly, I think we will.

[John Fitzgerald]

Yorks went down with 140 points last season so unless we harvest tons of bowling and batting points in the second half of the season I don't see how one more win can possibly suffice.

Yorkshire got 138 points and only won 1 game. Remember far more batting points available last year as they started at 200 so not directly comparable.

[Jonathan Winsky]

If this was football, it would probably be said that Middlesex’s chances of survival would not be defined by matches against top teams like Hampshire, but by matches against bottom teams like Northamptonshire. Still, it is handy to actually compete against top sides rather than come out of the match having been comprehensively beaten and picked up only one point.

I started the match hopeful that Stevie Eskinazi and Max Holden could transfer their Twenty20 form into the County Championship (I even made Holden my batter on Know Your Cricket), and uncertain whether Pieter Malan would play. However, Eski wasn’t selected, Holden made 0 and 4, and Malan made 1 and 0. The continued lack of big scores by our batters in our 2nd XI makes it difficult to make the argument that we should give some fringe players a go. At least John Simpson got runs under his belt.

I would have thought that Josh de Caires will retain his place in our Championship side for the foreseeable future, something which would make it uncertain whether Luke Hollman will remain in the side, especially for matches when spin is expected to play little or no role. It would be cruel if de Caires was to lose his place in our side just after he gained it.

[Paul W]

The current round of Division one matches are now complete, and the table isn't pleasant reading-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/county-championship-division-one/table

Neither are the batting averages-

https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/averages-batting-bowling-by-team/county-championship-division-one-2023-15156?team=1241

The next game v Northants is a must win, so we can increase the 12 point gap between us (9th place) and them (10th).

The only ray of hope is we have a game in hand over those in 6th, 7th and 8th, but even allowing for that, Kent (8th) are 21 points ahead of us.

Malan 17.09 Holden 15 and Eskinazi 14.81. Nowhere near good enough.

[Erskine]

Also strange team selection
Murts 4 matches 21 wickets Av 20
Helm 4 matches 7 wickets. Av 52
Yet Murts not selected against Hampshire

[adelaide]

Also strange team selection
Murts 4 matches 21 wickets Av 20
Helm 4 matches 7 wickets. Av 52
Yet Murts not selected against Hampshire

You have to look at the pitch. Bamber got nothing out of it. Would it have suited Murtagh any more? Helm's extra pace would have got him the nod, though like everyone else I'd prefer to hear Kevin Hand reciting a list of five-fors rather than telling us he is on England's radar (see one of my earlier posts about how our young players just don't seem to kick on).

I found it interesting that Mason Crane was omitted. It was as if Hampshire thought that the pitch would suit finger spin far more than wrist spin. Hollmann only getting one wicket - and that thanks to a yahoo - kind of suggests they were right. I was amazed that Josh bowled 45+ overs without exhaustion (or a Moeen finger blister) when I doubt he has bowled anything like that long at any level of cricket. He really must keep his place and, I would suggest, bat further up the order.

[Paul W]

I suppose in the same way we as fans have players we rate, and players we don't rate, so too must Richard Johnson.

As he is around the players all day every day, and has played 166 more first class matches than you and me, you would hope he would be more likely to be right than us.

But the perseverance with Max Holden in four day cricket is baffling. He gets the same number of single digit scores anyone can get, but somewhere along the line you just know that even when he gets a start, a careless shot through lack of concentration will cause his downfall. Yes, he's an automatic white ball pick, but not red ball. Are we afraid he'd leave if we don't pick him for four day matches? I get he looks a class act when he nails a cover drive, or whatever, but the only currency that counts is, 'How many runs did you score today?' and with just one championship hundred for us (three if you include the two he got years ago for Northants) in 74 matches, I don't know how much more evidence Johnson needs.

3 hundreds and 16 fifty's is quite a telling statistic.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/max-holden-641387

And I think the honeymoon period for Luke Hollman should come to an end. I haven't written him off, but he should go back to the 2nd XI and put in some performances to get his place back.

Tom Helm isn't young anymore. 29, and he should be at his peak. He often looks threatening, but it's wickets that count, and he isn't taking enough per match.

This could have been a season to find out more about Thilan Walallawita. 25 last week, so we need to find out if he can hack it. At 19 Nathan Fernandes (who didn't have to do anything in the 2's to justify his elevation to the first team) could easily have waited another year before getting his chance. Maybe Johnson has already decided Walallawita can't hack it (as he did last year with Sowter).

But just as we all have those we rate, and those we don't, so does the coach- and hopefully he knows more than us.

[Pindarus]

I can't believe Helm is anywhere near the radar for any England team. Nor can I imagine is anyone else at Middx.